The CEO ABC Q & A

Mike Abel is a founding partner at award-winning advertising agency M&C Saatchi Abel

- Bruce Dennill

 A Added value: What do you do for fun?

We head straight to our holiday home at Benguela Cove (outside Hermanus) at any opportunity. There we ride bikes, boat, explore, eat and just enjoy being together.

Aspirational brand: Who were your heroes or mentors coming up through the ranks?

I was fortunate enough to be born into a family of truly exceptional grandparents and parents. Each of them was unique, principled and pioneering in their own way. For example, my maternal grandfather got onto a boat at age 16, travelled to London completely alone, and returned seven years later as a dental surgeon – bringing dental X-rays – which the other dentists at the time felt was an entirely unnecessary innovation – to Port Elizabeth.

Auditor: Who keeps you grounded?